Author Topic: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold  (Read 1894 times)

Offline Lord_Cervidae

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Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« on: September 13, 2019, 10:10:31 PM »
Hello everyone,

I recently started playing in a new campaign as the party healer/generic support character. Most of the party is new to D&D, and I didn't want to play the same class as others and step on any toes. I'm there to keep them alive during their plans.  I've been talking with the DM about long term goals for my character. So far most of my plans are things that can happen in the background while the new players have their fun. The main thing I want to do is build a stronghold that can heal the general public (and party members if we walk in). I've had the basic idea of a building some sort of healing stronghold for a while now and I asked the DM if I could build one over the course of the campaign. He said it would be interesting, and allowed me to take Leadership and Landlord to build it. To justify it in character, I plan on joining the healer's guild and getting their approval to build this hospital.


My plan so far:
- Join the guild before level 6 and start gaining their favor
- Take Leadership at level 6 and start training followers to be capable of some sort of healing (either using the heal skill or spells if they can cast)
- Talk to head of the guild before level 9 and get their approval to build the stronghold
- Take Landlord at level 9 and begin construction
- Levels 9-20, dump gold into the stronghold using the Landlord matching bonus to upgrade everything


I need help finding useful items for a hospital. The DM has allowed all un-updated 3.0 content, all 3.5 books, but no dragon magazines, custom magic items, or resetting traps. Ideally, I would like to have the capability to heal nigh-unlimited people each day with this stronghold (that is almost impossible though). I need to find any healing magic items/architecture that aren't limited to uses per day. I also need ways to protect the hospital from intruders and sabotage. I know it will never be perfect, and a dedicated person could always get in. I'm mainly looking to deter low level criminals and mages from causing trouble.

Things I have found so far (will update as I search books):
(click to show/hide)

Basic description of the design:
(click to show/hide)

The DM has said that I can create a network of buildings as long as I have the funds. If these are cheap enough I will create several and scatter them around the continent. I would appreciate any suggestions for upgrades or changes. If you know any other ways to deter break-ins, please let me know. I would also appreciate it if you find any redundant effects or items that can be removed. Thanks for making it to the end of the post. Sorry it was so wordy. I did my best to shorten it.

Offline Keldar

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Re: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2019, 12:53:23 AM »
Check out Citadel of the Planes on page 120 for a single keep spread over multiple locations.  Put all your healing items in one spot and simple portals in the other locations.

Get a Lyre of Building, at 13k gp it provides a -30% cost reduction to your stronghold, one of the 10 ways the Stronghold Construction rules interact with the rest of the game  (The other 9 are the spells at the front.  High level Wall of Stone being the second best cost reduction.)  It pays for itself on even a cheap keep.

There's only one 3.5 book that I remember seeing Wondrous Architecture in, and I'm brain farting on which one it was.  One of the last books I think.  I'll reply again if I find it.  Generally speaking though, the items in Stronghold Builder's Guidebook are about the best you'll find for mass recuperation outside of buying some magic bedrolls.

You should get Craft Wondrous Item and the modifier feats for it to build all that wondrous architecture, perhaps via an Artificer Cohort specializing in Medical Technomagic?

As for deterrence, Wondrous Architecture is all but impossible to move, even harder if you install them before finishing the walls and only put in man sized doors.  Give the local guards free service and they'll keep the few vandals away.  Setting up a 24 hour rotation from your leadership feat should fill in the rest.  Build golems if you really are worried about murderhobos (other than your party) and place glyph of warding and other spell as traps in wall safes for the staff to open for troublemakers to "loot."

Don't forget to add a schoolroom for your outreach programs, have to teach life skills and the next generation of hospitaleers.

Offline kitep

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Re: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2019, 05:26:03 AM »
I really like this idea.

Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum spell can be made permanent and can give you some rooms that can't be entered by anyone but you and a select few.  Good for keeping things safe.  Also, since it's extra-dimensional, it doesn't take up any room itself.

Bards have Cure Light Wounds - as an arcane spell.  Makes it valid for an eternal wand.

The Hallow spell lasts for a year and you can tie a spell to it.  If you use Tongues, then you won't have communication problems anywhere in the hospital.

You'll want an item or two that magically boost the Heal skill.

Don't forget the Sanctum Spell feat.  Good for your followers who will be working out of the healing stronghold everyday.

I read the description on the Platform of Healing.  Unlimited Heals for only 30,000.  Wowzer

Good luck!



Offline kitep

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Re: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2019, 05:45:47 AM »
The various Symbol spells would work great in a stronghold.  I think there's extra benefits when inscribed in stone.  And the triggering mechanism can be an alignment, though if it goes off, I think it affects everyone in range regardless of alignment.  Triggering can also be actions, such as the Sleep symbol going off when a fight starts, or when someone burns a book in the library.

Phase Door is great for letting your side literally run through walls while the enemy can't.  Another way to have an off-limits area.

Offline Lord_Cervidae

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Re: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2019, 10:56:39 PM »
Were you thinking of the lair wards from Draconomicon? They are also wondrous architecture but just seem to be updated or renamed versions of stuff from SBG. Those are the only other wondrous architecture I have found outside of SBG so far.

I like the idea of having a main healing hub and then scattering portals around to the area. I spent a few days reworking the floor plan and adding things like more space for the outreach program and spell effects. I now have a healing hub with 7 satellite clinics that connect to the main hub. It is simple but effective. I will still need to worry about congestion issues if a lot of people need healing at once though.

If I go with the method of the Citadel of Planes and have the main hub on a different plane and have entrance portals scattered around the continent. What would be a good plane to throw the main hub on? Elysium would be a good choice since it grants fast healing and is the plane my deity is on. However, I would have to deal with people possibly never leaving. I would like to avoid being responsible for people going missing. Unless someone has a better plane suggestion, I may just throw the main hub on some remote island and avoid planar travel entirely.

I'll have to talk to my DM about it but I may be able to get an Artificer cohort instead of the bard cohort I was planning on. If I could use the artificer to build the magic gear, I could potentially have up to 8 million to work with instead of the current 2.2 million. If I had my current design built with the reductions from that cohort, I would end up only using ~410,000 of that. I could potentially have up to 140 different locations with portals to a healing hub. With the setting we are in, every settlement that is larger than a village could have 2 access points... I don't think I can talk my DM into allowing that.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. They have definitely helped improve the design.

Offline kitep

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Re: Need Help Refining a Healing Stronghold
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2019, 03:55:54 AM »
If I go with the method of the Citadel of Planes and have the main hub on a different plane and have entrance portals scattered around the continent. What would be a good plane to throw the main hub on? Elysium would be a good choice since it grants fast healing and is the plane my deity is on. However, I would have to deal with people possibly never leaving. I would like to avoid being responsible for people going missing. Unless someone has a better plane suggestion, I may just throw the main hub on some remote island and avoid planar travel entirely.

I agree. The side effect of never wanting to leave Elysium is one you don't want to deal with.  Esp since 1 out of 20 people are going to roll a nat 1 on their save.  I believe Ysgard (Manual of the Planes) also has fast healing 2.  But by the time you can afford a two-way portal, you can afford the Platform of Healing which will do far more for a lot less.  As far as healing goes, I wouldn't go with portals, though they do make a good escape hatch if you're worried about being attacked.

Other wondrous architecture - I include these for completeness.  Only the Standing Stones look useful.
Shining South, p55-56, has dweomered doors.  None look all that useful for a healing center
Eberron Campaign Setting, p273, Eldritch Machine.  Basically an unlimited Wish machine with one function.  Really meant to be used by the DM as a plot device
Eberron Campaign Setting - Sibery's Observatory - useful for casting divining spells
Sharn: City of Towers, p170.  Flying Buttress - helps build impossibly tall towers. 
Sharn: City of Towers, p170.  Lift - an elevator/turbolift.  Could be useful if you've got money to burn or impossibly tall towers
Sharn: City of Towers - Voluminous Vault
Frostburn, p29 Frostfell Summoning Chamber.  Can summon extra cold creatures.  Ho-hum
Draconomicon - Liar Wards.  Most seem to be copies of things from the Stronghold Builders Guide, though I didn't read all of them.
Races of Stone, p166-167 - Various magical forges.  Nothing useful for a healing center
Races of Stone, p167ff - Rune Circles.  The Healing Circle maximizes healing spells, but the Platform of Healing is better.
Masters of the Wild - Standing Stones.  Good for enhancing druid spells